Style Hacks: How to Look Taller for Men Without Gaining Actual Height

For men, height is a critical part of appearance. If you are tall, you are more likely to stand out among your peers. But if you are short, you may feel like you are at an disadvantage in society. Many short men want to know how to appear taller. But height is genetic, is there really a way for short guys to look taller? Fortunately, here are a few tips below for how to look taller for men, even if you don’t gain any actual height.

Wear Clothes That Fit Your Frame

This is an advice that is widespread among men’s style magazines and articles, and for good reasons. Wearing clothes that fit your body, especially your legs, will highlight your body from a vertical perspective rather than horizontal. This is especially important if you’re shorter than the average men. Consider this: Who would look taller to you? A person who wears a baggy pair of jeans and loose-fitting T-shirt, or the same person who is wearing a form-fitting shirt and pants? There are many other articles that goes into detail about what specific clothes make you look taller for men. But the main thing to keep in mind is to wear clothes that highlight your vertical form, not horizontal.

Maintain a Healthy Posture

The straighter you stand, the taller you look. This should be obvious for most men. Yet it is an item that is often overlooked when you want to know how to make yourself look taller. A healthy posture, such as when your neck is aligned vertically with your spine and shoulders, will give you a few extra inches compared to a slouching position or one where your neck is craned forward. As an additional bonus, a healthy posture will give off an air of confidence to the people around you.

Stay in Shape

You don’t have to work towards having the body type of the Greek god Hercules, but regular exercise will help you lose those extra baggage, especially around your waistline. Remember the first point about wearing clothes that fit your frame? That point goes hand in hand with this one. You don’t want to wear form-fitting clothes that highlight your body form if it only emphasizes your girth. Take care of your body, lose the extra pounds, and it will become much easier to appear taller when you wear the right clothes.

Take Care of Your Pants

For many men who prefer a more casual style, the length and size of your pants may not matter too much, but for short guys who want to know how to appear taller, the size, length, and style of pants is critically important. Wear pants that fit around your legs comfortably, but not too tightly, especially if your legs are thinner or thicker than the average men, which might make you appear too small or too wide. If the pants reach down to your shoes, get them hemmed so as to expose a bit of your ankles. When you iron your pants, try to iron parallel to the pants legs rather than perpendicular, that way any markings left from the ironing should run vertically from your hip down to your feet. This will give the impression that your legs are slightly longer than they actually are.

Color Scheme Matters

When you are wearing a shirt and pants, try your best to let the color scheme of each piece fall into the same spectrum. If you are wearing a ocean blue shirt, navy blue pants would be acceptable. If you are wearing a red shirt, go for something beige or dark brown as your color choice for pants. The point is to minimize the contrast in each piece of your attire, as to minimize the distinction between your upper body and lower body. This will make you seem taller as it becomes less obvious where your torso ends and where your hip begins. Conversely, don’t go to the opposite extreme and match the color of each piece perfectly.

This might be a good idea if you were in a fashion show and you want to draw as much attention on yourself as possible. As a rule of thumb, your color scheme should be as subtle as possible, not drawing unnecessary attention for people to examine your figure. As such, a grayish, black , or light tint of any color will be more suitable for shorter men. A color that is too sharp draws eyes that may inadvertently detect your lack of height.

Hairstyle Matters Too

For shorter men who want to appear taller, a “tall” hair that extends upward may not always be an appropriate choice. If done overboard, such hairstyle might make it seem like you are trying to overcompensate for a lack of height, it might even have the opposite effect you intended by making your face seem smaller. Instead, aim for something modest and subtle. By trimming the sides and leaving more at the top, you are highlighting the length of your face. Combing your straight back might also give off an impression of being taller.

Accessorize Moderately

Some men like big things: Big trucks, big watches, big neck chains. But for shorter men who want to look tall, bigger is not always better. Instead of a large Rolex or a thick gold chain, go small: Wear a smaller wristwatch, or a lighter, less flashier chain. The subtlety of smaller, more modest accessories will make you appear taller, if ever so slightly. When it comes to neckties, they should neither be too short or too long. It should reach to just above the belt. A tie that is too long will give an impression that you’re small, and a tie that is too long will make you appear fat. Modesty is key. Don’t overdo it to neither extreme.

Being short is not something you can control- it’s in your genes. However, there are ways to overcome the frustration of being short. Having the proper style that makes you look tall is only a small part of being a man. So regardless of your actual height, remind yourself to stand tall.

“Reporting Copyright Infringements”: If you believe that material or content residing on or accessible through Azuro Republic infringes a copyright, please send a notice of claims of copyright or other intellectual property infringement to joseph@azurorepublic.com. We will remove copyrighted material that has been illegally copied and distributed by any of our advertisers, affiliates, content providers, members or users right away.